good morning. punchlines. president obama and governor romney mine for laughs and votes as they mock themselves and each other at a charity dinner. >> in the spirit of "sesame street," the president's remarks tonight are brought to the by the letter "o" and the number 16 trillion. >> i went shopping at stores in mid-town. i understand governor romney went shopping for some stores in midtown. >> but it's back for business today as they prepare for monday's third and final debate. are they connected? investigators in colorado search for a link between 10-year-old jessica ridgeway's murder and the attempted abduction of a young jogger. this morning a description of a suspect just released by police.

and sign him up. a high school kicker lines up for an impossibly long 67-yard game-tying field goal. and he nails it. the kick for the ages that would have shattered the record in the nfl today, friday, october 19th, 2012. from nbc news, this is "today" with matt lauer and savannah guthrie, live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. and good morning. welcome to "today" on this friday morning. i'm matt lawer. >> good morning, everyone. i'm savannah guthrie. >> how about that kick, huh? >> i know. are you going to out me on what i just asked. >> as soon as it went through the uprights she went home run. >> see, i knew.

i got the spirit of the moment. talk about the spirit of the moment. after all the animosity and negativity we've seen in the campaign so far, kind of nice to get a little comic relief at last night's al smith fund-raising dinner here in manhattan. make no mistake, the comedy was a little biting at times as well. >> but very, very funny. they both handled it well. highlights of that straight ahead. also, we're going to take a look at a new poll or numbers from two battleground states that will have a big say in who wins the presidential election. >> also a big story we've been following. for months as a former teacher and professional cheerleader who denied having a sexual relationship with one of her 17-year-old students. now she's pled guilty in the case and is revealing that she and that student are indeed a couple. coming up, they are going to open up about that relationship for the first time in an exclusive interview. >> on a much, much lighter note, savannah's big moment in the kitchen. all week long she's been taking cooking lessons from the one and only bobby flay leading up to today where she says she will attempt to prepare us a complete

dinner, and let's be honest. she's taking this seriously. >> taking it very seriously. i was late coming down here, because i was inspecting all of my ingredients. ready, dressed for my dinner party. are you going to wear that? >> am going to wear that. didn't know it was formal. >> oh, it is. it's a classy party. if you want to tweet us, we'll show you some of the tweets people have been sending me. use the #savannahcooks, and we'll show some of them on the air. before that politics. a night of laughs featuring president obama and governor romney. chuck todd is chief white house correspondent and political director. chuck, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning. the campaign's got heated. it's been personal so perhaps it was helpful for both president obama and mitt romney to let out a little humorous steam as we're 18 days to go, and it's going to be a very close election. >> i was actually hoping the president would bring joe biden along this evening because he'll laugh at anything. >> reporter: 48 hours after

their most heated and personal debate yet, president obama and governor romney dousing back only a tad at the al smith dinner using humor to make political point. >> in the spirit of "sesame street" the president's remarks tonight are brought to you by the letter "o" and the number 16 trillion. >> this is the third time that governor romney and i have met recently. as some of you may have noticed i had a lot more energy in our second debate. i was really well rested after the nice long nap i had in the first debate. >> as president obama surveys the waldorf banquet room with everyone in white tie and finery, you have to wonder what he's thinking, so little time, so much to redistribute. >> after my foreign trip in 2008 i was attacked as a celebrity because i was so popular with our allies overseas and i have to say i'm impressed with how well governor romney has avoided that problem. >> the president actually was a

bit more serious during his appearance on "the daily show," a stop his campaign is encouraging as a way to try to see if a so-called stagnant youth vote can get re-ngized like 2008. >> do you think you have a stronger affirmative case for a second barack obama presidency or a stronger negative case for a mitt romney presidency. >> i think i've got a strong case on both ends. i do think that part of the president's job is not only moving forward on things that will work but also preventing things that won't work. >> benghazi also came up. >> i would say even you would add mitt it was not the optimal response, at least to the american people as far as us being on the same stage. >> here's what i'll say. >> yeah. >> if four americans get killed, it's not optimal. >> right. >> and we're going to fix it. >> all of it. >> all of it. >> dispatching bruce springsteen and bill clinton to iowa and ohio the obama campaign is trying to pull out all the stops trying to lock down the two

states plus wisconsin in what the campaign hopes is a electoral midwestern firewall. new nbc news/"wall street journal"/marist polls shows the president is still in the lead, up six points in wisconsin and has an eight-point lead in iowa. this may end up a knockdown dragout fight to the finish in these swing states but for one night in manhattan the two men had nice things to say. >> our 44th president has a beautiful family that would make any man proud. >> i admire him as a family man and loving father and those are two titles that will matter more than political ones. >> reporter: back to benghazi, an associated press report indicates that the cia may have had some hints that this was not sparked by a protest just 24 hours after the attack itself, but what's unclear and what my own reporting has been indicating for a while, did the

cia share that information with the white house? when did they finally share that information? that, of course, has been the big unanswered question. i bet it comes up on monday night at that foreign policy debate. savannah. >> chuck todd at the white house this morning, thank you. let's bring in david gregory, moderator of "meet the press." good morning to you. >> hey, savannah. >> just saw the two polls from the battleground that nbc did showing the president with the lead in the key states of iowa and which is which. at the same time you have a gallup poll that shows governor romney up seven points. can you cut through all these different polls. where are we in the race? >> well, it's interesting. i think the race is much tighter than the tracking poll according to both campaigns actually. they understand this is a tight race at this point. when we're in the teens in terms of number of days left to go. we're also in a stage where both campaigns are very caught up in that perception of who is ahead, and we get into this part of the campaign where they start saying i'd rather be us than them. bottom line, we're in a pretty

close to a death heat right now. >> as far as our poll is concerned, it appears the debates did not make a big difference. our pollsters put it, two debates but you can't tell it from the numbers. 95% of those polled said they had made up their mind before the debate. are we also seeing the impact, david, of early voting in these states? >> no question that we're seeing that in some states, including some of the states that we're polling, but i also think that you had a more tightly contested debate. it was certainly aggressive on both sides. unlike the first debate where the president really didn't show up, this was different. they were both in each other's faces. i actually think that was a negative. a lot of people i'm talking to were frankly turned off by them going to to toe, bickering, interrupting each other, taking on the moderator. it didn't seem to shed a lot of light on where the issues are, just a lot of heat. >> the candidates, of course, have been working overtime and we saw that in the debate to get the female vote. our poll in iowa and wisconsin demonstrates why the president

does well. when you get into the poll it shows a double-digit advantage with women but romney advisers will tell you he's making inroads in the female vote. >> no question that he's making inroads. why the president is spending so much time talking about issues like planned parenthood and how mitt romney wants to cut planned parenthood funding as he's said throughout the campaign. this is an issue where obama advisers say we have a comfortable lead and want to pad it and make it bigger. they do feel some slippage. this is a key part of the obama coalition. getting women out there voting in states like virginia and ohio to make sure that they can tilt the balance in their favor in those states. >> real quickly looking ahead to monday, a debate all about foreign policy. do you think either candidate holds the advantage there? >> right now there's still a lot on benghazi. missteps by romney in the last debate about that, but as chuck was reporting, still more questions about what was known and when, about whether this was a terrorist attack and whether the administration came clean about it. the president is being

criticized for his -- his talking points on this, on jon stewart saying when four americans are killed it was not optimal. that in stewart's question. nevertheless, this is not an issue that will go away. still some confusion on how the administration response on this was both sluggish, slope and incoherent at sometimes, so i think this is going to be a topic of conversation for sure. >> and what's your topic of conversation this weekend on "meet the press," david? >> we'll do it all. talking to david axelrod, senator rob portman, of course, close with the romney campaign and senator marco rubio as well. >> david gregory in our washington newsroom. matt? >> thank you. thank you, savannah. new revelations about the boy scouts of america and widespread allegations of sexual abuse. now, the organization had fought the release of some internal documents but recently lost that fight. nbc's anne thompson is here with more on that. anne, good morning. >> good morning, matt. an oregon court ordered these files be made public. they were kept by the boy scouts, and they involve 1,247

alleged abusers reported to that organization. inside the files are stories that are disturbingly similar to the abuse cases that have marred the catholic church and penn state. boy scouts pledge to do their best, to do their duty to god, country and obey the scout law, but in these boxes, the so-called perversion files, reveal that some of the men responsible for building moral character did anything but. >> they used their authority to groom kids, build relationships with them and find excuses to hang out with them. >> reporter: and then sexually abused them. the files show there were abuse complaints in 49 states from 1965 to 1985. some accusations were reported to authorities. others were not. >> we saw example after example where the boy scouts chose not to call law enforcement, and you will see in the files over and over again references to this would make the organization look

back. if it don't stink, don't stir it. >> reporter: earlier this week, the boy scouts of america president wayne perry apologized. >> we didn't do the job we should have, and -- and we're sorry for that, profoundly sory. >> he says the boy scouts have kept the files since the 1920s in an effort to try to keep abusers from returning to scouting. he concedes it didn't always work. >> one time the medical community thought that you could be cured of this. it's only in the last two decades that they have determined that you can't be cured of child abuse. >> reporter: today the boy scouts do background checks on volunteers, require mandatory reporting of abuse and training. >> the more everybody knows the safer our children will be. >> reporter: dr. frank spinelli was not safe. he says his scout leader abused him for two years in the late '70s. >> i told my parents, and they went to the other assistant scout masters who persuaded my parents not to press charges. >> reporter: his case is not included, but spinelli hopes the

files will make sure that abuse is always reported. >> we have to remember that what has happened to these children and myself is a crime, and you need to go to the police. >> reporter: the boy scouts of america says it will review all its files from 1965 to the present day to say if there are any good-faith suspicions of abuse that have not been reported to law enforcement. and it also apologizes again to the young men it says it did not protect. matt, savannah. >> anne thompson, anne, thank you very much. >> we want to get a check of the day's other top stories. natalie is over at the news desk, good morning. >> good morning, matt and savannah. good morning, everyone. according to a source who was briefed on the inspector general's finding, a report reveals that one of the agents in cart haynea during the president's trip admitted to soliciting prostitutes on two prior occasions, and similar misconduct was reported on other official trips to romania and china. secret service officials say secret service director mark

sullivan was not aware of these incidents when he testified before congress back in may. the white house is expressing confidence in sullivan as the investigation into the scandal is ongoing. a conflicting portrait of the 21-year-old bangladeshi native charged with trying to blow up the frank in new york city. family and friends say nafis came to the u.s. to study and often remarked muslims don't believe in violence. federal officials said he came to the country bent on becoming a martyr. today bangladeshi and u.s. diplomats meet to discuss the young man's case. convicted child sexual abuser jerry sandusky is seeking a new trial, filing documents thursday attacking the evidence presented against him and how quickly his case proceeded from arrest to trial. sandusky is asking for the charges against him to be thrown out and a new trial. he's currently behind bars awaiting transfer to a state prison where he'll begin serving a 30 to 60-year sentence. a possible lead in the case

of 10-year-old jessica ridgeway who was abducted and later found dead near her westminster, colorado home. investigators are looking to uncover a link between jessica's murder and an attempted kidnapping from memorial day weekend this year. they are describing the suspect as a light-skinned male between 18 and 33 years old and light hair. now let's head to wall street. cnbc's mary thompson is at the knock stock exchange. >> reporter: google mistakenly released its results early yesterday causing disappointment and confusion in the markets and a drop of 20%. markets followed with a 22% decline in its product as they put off purchases awaiting the release of windows 8. today marks the 25th anniversary of black monday from the dow dropped 22.6%, its single largest percentage decline ever. natalie, back to you. >> not a good reminder. mary thompson, thanks so much. well, it was a rough night

for the bronx bombers as the new york yankees were defeated by the detroit tigers, 8-1, sending the tigers to the world series for the first time since 2006. heading into tonight's game, defending world series champs, the st. louis cardinals lead the san francisco giants 3-1 for the national league title. and a high school football player has kicked his way into the record books. check it out. this is austin rehkow from spokane valley, washington nailing a 67-yard field goal bringing his team to a 62-55 point victory, and it beats the current nfl record which is at 63 yards, so they better start signing him up. it is 7:16 right now. back to savannah, matt and al. boy, he must be -- >> what was the final score in that game? >> 62-55. >> that's a basketball score, even i know that. >> wow. >> all right. put them over the top with that. >> the poor yankees didn't get the touchdowns they were hoping to get. >> one of the local new york newspapers, so tough on the

yankees, a little thing on the cover that says "dear yankees, we don't date losers. signed new york." not good. >> tough down. >> how about the detroit infielder. they got a lumberjack playing. >> caught the final out. >> pretty cool. >> mr. roker. >> who knew that paul bunyon played baseball. let's show you going on. that's how old i am, talking about paul bunyon. low pressure system making its way through the midwest. secondary system along the mid-atlantic coast making for a lot of rain in the northeast and great lakes. the heaviest rain in the northeast over the next 24 hours. we're talking airport delays from boston all the way down to d.c. anywhere from 1 to 3 inches of rain from syracuse to atlantic city, and then out west we've got a system making its way into the pacific northwest. that's going to be bringing some more rain, making for a little bit of a wet day in seattle all the way down to salem, oregon. >> good morning.ing on aro

big storm spinning over the great lakes is pushing a cool front through the area. we're hoping for some sunbreaks. >> and that's your latest weather. savannah? >> all right, al, thank you. coverage of the presidential election can sometimes feel a bit like information overload here, but nbc's ian williams has found a place where the situation is quite the opposite. ian, good morning to you. >> good morning, savannah. well, that place is china, and it couldn't be more different. while we may think we know a lot about the u.s. candidates, sometimes even more than we want to know, the man about to take over in china is an almost complete mystery, even to his own people.

while the u.s. election has reached its final raucous stretch, it's business as usual ahead of china's change of leader. and come rain or shine you'll be hard pressed to find any sign of election fever here. and while there's little we don't know about the u.s. candidates from mitt romney's choice of breakfast to who president obama listens to on his ipod ping's choice of cereal is a secret as is just about everything else about what he does and thinks. even how he got the job. >> at the top you don't know what's going on. it's very feudal politics. >> reporter: we discovered to set out what the chinese know themselves about the new leader. you don't know who will be the new leader next month? you don't. >> reporter: in fact, expressing an opinion about communist party leaders can land you in all sorts of trouble. while u.s. voters face a deluge of information on the presidential candidates, the official biography of ping runs

three terse pages so we took a beijing taxi, figuring cabbies everywhere have an opinion. do you think he has an ipod? >> translator: he doesn't know. >> reporter: when he recently disappeared for two weeks and was rumored to be sick the internet censors even blocked the word back injury from search engines. undeterred we headed to a beijing university? what do do we know about him? >> maybe -- >> yeah. actually nothing, yeah. >> reporter: does he have any children? >> i don't know. >> i don't care. >> reporter: finally we went to see a fortune teller. you don't care about politics, you don't know. he was promptly scolded for talking to us. unlike the u.s. where 130 million voted in the last presidential election, the chinese electorate consists of a

small clique at the top of party and the result isn't in doubt. much has changed in china but not the politics, and figuring out what really goes on at the top is a bit like reading the tea leaves. of course, dealing with china and xi, it will be one of the biggest challenges facing a u.s. president. >> ian williams, thanks for the story. appreciate it. good to see you. just ahead, should you race out and buy the latest smartphones, iphones and tablets? and a baby elephant rescued from a well and an amazing reunion with its mother, but first this is "today" on nbc.

tweets are poring in as savannah gets ready to put her cooking skills to the test. >> i just got one i smell something burning. that's someone who works here.

anyone on my side? no dinner for you. >> and are justin timberlake and jessica biehl tying the knot tomorrow? that and more after a check of your local news and weather on this friday morning. and decided to be...not boring. that's how i met marilyn... giada... really good. yes! [ jack ] ...and alicia. ♪ this girl is on fire [ male announcer ] use any citi® card to get the benefits of private pass. more concerts. more events. more experiences. [ jack ] hey, who's boring now? [ male announcer ] get more access with a citi card. [ crowd cheering, mouse clicks ] [ ding! ] losing your chex mix too easily? time to deploy the boring-potato chip decoy bag. then no one will want to steal the deliciousness. [ male announcer ] with a variety of tastes and textures, only chex mix is a bag of interesting.

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>> good morning, everybody. i'm stan stovall. here is a look at one of our top stories. this summer's star spangled sailabration is being caught a huge success. reports show the week-long festival attracted 1.5 million visitors to the baltimore area, an estimated $166 million and to the local economy. complete with tall ships and the blue angels, it marked the 200th anniversary of the war of 1812. let's get a check of the morning

commute with sarah caldwell. >> plenty of accidents to watch for this hour. one we are tracking northbound on 29 just prior to 70. 99 shut down the mackenzie road in ellicott city due to a dow pole. tin's bill, frederick and old frederick road. northbound jfx and cold spring. west side delays in place liberty to edmonson and tapping the bridge north side harford road to providence. ford smallwood at a deep part way and curtis bay. and another accident northbound 97 at 648. 08 not showing delays when to get closer to 70 on the northbound side what for delays and definitely delays ne outer loop approaching harford toward delaney valley. over to you. >> the radar -- here is baltimore, i circled it, to this out and moving in our direction

in new band of showers and thunder in charles county. rain is coming back into the picture. it will be on again/off-again for at least the morning hours. right now at the airport cloudy and 64 he and humidity is up. the forecast is calling for some periods of rain and all the board sunbreaks this afternoon. that is the basic picture. the windsors should all the time it is up and if we get an up sun, 73-78 is the high. but we need enough sun

>> it's very difficult. it was -- because i wanted to be able to tell my friends that like this is my girlfriend. >> that is the teenager at the center of a sex scandal involving his former teacher and ex-nfl cheerleader opening up about their relationship for the first time that. woman is now on probation after pleading guilty, and the two are dating. just ahead, we'll hear from them exclusively, but meantime it's 7:30 on a friday morning. it's the 19th of october, 2012. i'm savannah guthrie alongside matt law skwler also ahead, we've all become so reliant on smartphones and tablets and laptops, and new ones seem to come out each month. christmas is coming. is this the right time you should update your gadgets? coming up, valuable advice on

what to consider before doing that. >> just for everyone that isn't al roker. >> he gets the new one, no matter what. >> plus a possible predictor in the presidential election. with polls all over the place, the sales of governor romney and president obama halloween masks. does that tell us who is in the lead in the actual race? we'll get into that. >> i think they should both be attended by those masks. >> in the attractive. >> a little later on savannah uses her lessons from bobby flay to prepare an entire dinner for us from scratch, so she says. >> and set a beautiful table, and by i mean our whole team here. we'll begin this half hour with the former nfl cheerleader and teacher who admits having sex with one of her students. nbc investigative reporter jeff rossen sat down with both of them. >> reporter: the story made big national headlines. all along sarah jones said she was innocent, never she had sex, never had a romantic relationship with one of her

students, but prosecutors said they had evidence proving it and charged her. now, a stunning end to the case. this morning sarah and that teenaged student are coming clean, opening up in exclusive new interviews. >> that's her, sarah jones, nfl cheerleader for the cincinnati bengals. this was her weekend gig. her main job. >> who can tell me after looking over -- >> reporter: a buttoned up high school english teacher in kentucky charged with a felony sex crime. >> a cheerleader indicted. >> reporter: she was painted as a predator who seduced one of her own students, cody york, a 17-year-old who played on the high school baseball team. we questioned sarah about it back in august. did you ever have sex with this student? >> no, it was never like that, no. it was -- >> reporter: emotional? >> yes. >> reporter: but not sexual? >> no, it was never about that. never like that. >> reporter: sarah's defense

team wanted prosecutors to lay off. >> they are obsessed, in my humble opinion, with getting her. >> do you swear from the testimony you're about to give in this matter it will be the truth, so help you god? >> yes, i am. >> reporter: but just last week a total reversal for sarah. she took a deal, pleading guilty to reduced charges and spilling about her secret affair. >> i sent sexually explicit text messages to cody york while he was a student. i had sexual contact including sexual intercourse with cody york when he was a student and i was a teacher. >> reporter: the very next day she sat down with us, again. >> it is literally the saying the truth will set you free. it is like the stress fell off of me after it was out there and i didn't have to hide anymore. >> reporter: you were a teacher. he was a student. >> right. >> reporter: did you know that was wrong? >> absolutely that's wrong. there's no gray area. there is -- it is wrong for a teacher to have any type of relationship that crosses the line with a student.

again, though -- snow get that? >> absolutely. >> reporter: do you feel guilt bewhat you did? >> yeah. what i did was wrong. >> reporter: and now for the first time cody york is telling all. the teenager at the heart of this case opening up in an exclusive interview. >> what was it like to be called the victim? >> i didn't like being called the victim because i wasn't a victim. i wasn't a victim with anything. she never did anything to me. >> reporter: did she manipulate you? >> absolutely not. >> reporter: use her power of authority over you? >> not at all. >> reporter: in fact, sarah didn't prey on him. he's the one who pursued her. they had known each other for years. he says their families were friends. >> i always looked at her as a very close friend and i could always get to her and talk to her about anything. she was my support system. i don't exactly remember the exact moment but outside of school. it just started coming along. like every time -- every other time i would see her outside it would just hit me harder and harder and harder every single

time, and that's just how it started. >> reporter: sarah felt it, too. their nine-year age difference didn't seem to matter. they crossed the line and had sex. before you consummated the relationship did you realize, you know what, sarah can get in a lot of trouble for this? >> absolutely. >> reporter: you guys still did it? >> yeah, it was worth it, but i never in a million years thought this would ever happen, and i -- i don't know. >> reporter: you had this giant secret were you trying to keep from people, from everyone. >> it was very difficult. because i wanted to be able to tell my friends that like this is my girlfriend. >> reporter: did your friends say to you, dude, did you do this? >> yeah, absolutely. almost every single day. >> reporter: what did you say to them? >> no. i just kept my mouth closed. >> reporter: today they are a couple and say they are in love. sarah 27 and cody 18. the once forbidden affair now a full-on relationship.

>> he is -- he's wonderful. i absolutely adore everything, even if he does have flaws i adore them. >> i love everything about her, literally everything. she can break down in front of me, be her worst in front of me, and it makes me love her even more. >> he's seen the bad side of me. he's seen me break down and be at my lowest, and if you can love someone at their lowest, that says a lot. he says sarah you look so beautiful in your mug shot, and i know -- that's how i know he really loves me. >> a lot of people are going to watch this and say, look, this was borne out of lies, borne out of a cover-up and something that's wrong. how can something right come out of it? >> we made a poor choice together but that doesn't mean we can't find happiness at the end of the day, and we will. >> under her plea deal sarah doesn't have to serve any jail time but will serve five years probation, and there is much more they have to say on this story. tonight on "dateline," sarah and cody tell all. how they lied, the cover-up and the details of their secret

relationship. plus, police investigators take us inside the case. how they used their text messages to bust them. you can see the full report tonight at 10:00, 9:00 central time on "dateline" right here on nbc, savannah. >> it's a doozy. jeff rossen, thanks so much. we'll take a turn now and get a check of the weather from al. >> a little drizzly and rainy here. may get some heavier rain in the new york area in just a little bit. let's lack ahead for the next three months. winter outlook just put out by the national weather service, and we are looking in the east for normal temperatures. below normal in florida, but out west mostly above normal temperatures, and then precipitation-wise. drier than normal in the pacific northwest, upper mississippi river vale and wetter than unusual in the gulf coast and normal conditions in the southwest, the mid-atlantic states on into the northeast. for today we are looking at heavy rain here in the

northeast. a lot of airport delays along the east coast. more rain moving into the pacific northwest. showers around the western great lakes and expect to see plenty of sunshine through the southwest on into southern california. >> good morning. a cool front is trying to move through the area. we're hoping for some sunbreaks . >> don't forget get that weather any time you need to. go to the weather channel on cable or weather.com online. and while you're doing that, get red for sunday night because that's the best night of the week because it's time for sunday night "football night in america." the 3-3 steelers take on the 3-3

bengals. somebody's going to be 4-3. oh, we can't wait. who will it be as they go into paul brown stadium? clear, cool, upper 50s to the low 60s. it's a big one. will the bengals mall tul the steelers? it's all coming up sunday night "football night in america." savannah. >> all right, al. thank you. coming up next, how to decide when the time is right to upgrade your gadgets, and a touching moment on stage as katy perry does a duet with a young girl with autism. we'll have that story. but first these messages. [ male announcer ] it's here!

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back now at 7:43. this morning on "today's tech," upgrading your gadgets. when it comes to smartphones, laptops and tablets, is patience a virtue, or should you buy what you went when you want it in the question was recently the focus of a "new york times" article, and here to break it down is mario armstrong, today's digital lifestyle contributor. good to see you. >> good to see you, matt. >> a lot of different gadgets coming out now. new models. >> that's right. >> christmas coming up. >> that's right. >> people are thinking about getting gifts or treating themselves. how do you know if it's the right time to upgrade? >> well, have you to know how you're going to use technology. i often tell people put technology in categories. primary, secondary and luxury. primary means what do i really need? what's going to give me value to my life. look at your life situation. what are the problems, what are the redundant things in my life?

how can technology solve that? don't buy tech for tech sake. >> let's break it down into the categories. smartphones here, okay? if you've got an older smartphone, what should be the driving force in deciding whether you go with an iphone 5 or a galaxy or something like that? >> i say wait for the next upgrade after the upgrade. in other words skip one, so if you look at the iphone situation. had you an iphone 4. do you go for the 4s, no, you wait, you hold and go for the 5, because usually in 18 to 24 months you'll see a significant change in the device as opposed to just 12 months. >> what about expense as you're signing up for a new device. >> yes. >> sometimes the carrier will subsidize you a little bit. is that worth it? >> it's worth it if you can get the upgrade pricing. that's another reason. if you're using a phone and need it for business and it's every day, then you want an annual contract. if you're worrying about i want to get the cheapest rate, best subsidized price then a two-year contract will do that and you won't be outdated by waiting. >> let's move on to tablets, a category a lot of people are talking because in very soon

we'll see the new mini ipad. >> that's right. >> is that going to be a game-changer? >> i believe it will be a game-changer because 7-inch tablets have become a game-changer themselves. this is the nexus 7. this is very popular, sold out. the kindle fire has done phenomenally well, the nook has done well and that size is powerful. the ipad mini will be another one that sells out well. >> would you suggest people upgrading when that comes out. >> had a baby boomer ask me that exact same question. if you use a tablet now, how do you currently use it? is it the size of the screen going to be too small for your eyesight, things of that nature, so really understand how you're going to use it. go to a store and try out the smaller sized tablets before making a purchase. >> you say when it comes to laptops people have more flexibility, what do you mean by that? >> you don't need to change the whole device. to really bump up a laptop, you can do simple things like upgrading the random access mem memory. they call it r.a.m., easy upgrade that will breathe life into the computer. download new software so windows 8 is coming out next week.

that's going to bring a whole new set of choices. >> what is the technological live span of a laptop? if i've got a 4-year-old laptop, should i start thinking about upgrading that? >> yes, you absolutely should. you need to know how long or what your main purpose of use is going to be. again, if it's for business buy cheap because you know you're going to rotate every 12 months. if you want something that lasts three or four years, buy expensive so it maintains. >> you said something to me earlier i never thought of. personalization of your laptops and devices is a bad -- >> no, no. >> i say putting stickers on them. >> engraving them, stuff like that? >> why is that? >> you won't get trade-in value. you'll depreciate the value. my ipad 2 will get me $215 on a website called gazelle.com. if it was engraved i'd get only 160 bucks for the same ipad. >> instead of personalizing and putting stickers on it. >> don't put the actual stickers on the actual device itself. get a clear case and put it on that and then customize it or personalize it and you don't

have to worry about what will happen. >> if you are upgrading and turning in your old devices, how are you sure to maintain your privacy? you've got phone numbers and all that stuff? >> this is critical. wipe all the data. first off, back it all up. make sure it's backed up and then do a factory reset on the actual device. that will bring it back to its original state from the manufacturer, and then you can take it back to places like next worth or retailers will buy it back, radioshack and staples will buy back your products, give you money so can you use it towards your next product so you're not spending as much as you should. >> good information, mario. as always, appreciate it. >> thanks, matt. up next, this year's hottest halloween costumes and a great story. a baby elephant rescued and reunited with its mom that will steal your heart. but first these messages. excite our imagination. make life better. brighten our days. ♪ at jcp, we don't want to be another store.

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we changed our plan and did something about our economy. now we know where to go for help if things change again. call or come in today to take control of your personal economy. get free one-on-one help from america's retirement leader. back now at 7:50. i was just upstairs in the kitchen reviewing my recipes. getting ready. you guys hungry? >> just hearing you say in the kitchen such a novelty. >> how much help is in the kitchen for you? >> there's some help, but i have this and i'm going to take it seriously. really trying to cook. >> putting it up on the screen, the tweets, for the very most part. >> save me some leftovers. >> exactly. >> perfect, all right. >> so we'll see. that starts at 8:00. >> the cooking. >> hope you're hungry. meantime, halloween, of course,

almost here. presidential election just 18 days away. those two things tend to go together. president obama and governor romney masks are in demand. the folks at ricky's sent us their latest prototypes. >> you might say, well, this is obvious, two of the most popular halloween masks, but there's some science behind this when it comes to the election. for example, according to "the huffington post,". >> some science. >> this year obama masks are outselling romney masks by more than 30%. we put that in perspective. according to spirit halloween company, figures show that bill clinton outsold bob dole and george bush outsold al gore, bush outsold john kerry and obama outsold john mccain and you know what happened in all of those elections. >> that's a perfect record. >> interesting. >> in halloween masks. >> as i said before, the polls are all over the place, so you know what? maybe it's as good a predictor as any. >> kind of surprisingly. >> another big costume, big bird. >> this one. >> it's huge. >> who is going to be big bird this year? >> yeah. >> nice.

>> that looks good, nat. >> apparently what's worse is they are making sexy big bird costumes. >> thee words never been in the vicinity of one another before. >> yeah. >> i'm going to be wearing an angry elmo. >> that's the sexy big bird right there. >> that's not right. >> big bird, of course, after the debate where romney talked about pbs funding. >> yeah. >> and then big bird hair. >> just ahead. what could be the longest celebrity baby name ever? i don't know if we have time to say it all. >> and savannah makes us dinner after your local news. [ female announcer ] we invited women to see the not so pretty truth about their body washes. i wouldn't change. [ female announcer ] this test paper was designed to react like your skin. if other body washes can strip this paper, imagine how harsh they can be to your skin. oh my gosh. [ female announcer ] new dove is different. its new breakthrough formula changes everything

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not quite knowing what the next phase was going to be, you know, because you been, you know, this is what you had been doing. you know, working, working, working, working, working, working. and now you're talking about, well you know, i won't be, and i get the chance to spend more time with my wife and my kids. it's my world. that's my world. ♪

>> good morning. i'm mindy basara. time for a check on your morning commute. here's a sarah caldwell. >> good morning. a busy morning once again. it has kind of been that way all week. 24 mauze elice down 70 toward the beltway, an accident prior to the beltway -- eastbound 70. green and franklin, closures and the city. 99 shut down at mckinsey road due to a down the pole and elegance city. route 24 and the plum tree road.

southbound -- delays approaching 100 down to powder mill road, delays and placed into an accident. 70 westet a live view -- of the beltway. the pace leading up to the eastbound accident. watch for lane closures prior to the beltway. harford road coming toward us outer loop traffic, crawling from 95 on the northeast corner over toward the harrisburg expressway. that is in the very latest on traffic pulse 11. >> things look a little wetter. the heaviest of the rain along the bay, anne arundel county along the beaches. some thunderstorm activity, too. the radar indicated there might be a little bit of haleh ofail -- hail. also showers moving to howard county, potentially adding to the pennsylvania line. temperature at the airport with light showers, 64. humidity is up and the winds are calm at this moment.

looking at the forecast. 73-78. if we get sun breaking through this afternoon -- otherwise, a few showers in

8:00 now on a friday morning. it's the 19th day of october, 2012. it's not the nicest day here in new york city. we've had rain overnight, and it continues even as we speak. lots of umbrellas and lots of nice people. actually getting a little heavier now that we're out here. i'm about to get an umbrella for the two of us. i said the two of us because i'm matt lauer along with al roker who is going to get us some shelter from the storm. savannah. >> yes. >> is upstairs right now because this is the time where she is starting in earnest to prepare the dinner for us that she's been working on all week long.

savannah? >> doesn't look too busy. >> i'm about to get busy. making a spiced-rubbed chicken, a bobby flay recipe. one of the first steps is to mix took all these different spices which we've pre-measured and will rub that all over the chicken. don't want you to get too excited. that's coming up later. >> at home when you do this, are those spices pre-measured as well? >> no, they are not. i only have 45 minutes here, matt, you know, so we had to do a little prep work. that step alone would have taken me 45 minutes at home. that's the truth. >> we'll check back with you in a couple of minutes. >> remember last week, we had the cheerleader from texas, the young girl on. she tried to see how many handsprings she could do in a row. >> right. >> actually did it here for fun but did it on a football team back home trying to get into the guinness book of world records. we said that her attempt was unofficial so did she actually break the record and get into the book. we'll find out this morning. >> that's exciting. >> as we head into the weekend

you want to find out what's hot in music, movies and more, we've got you covered including the latest one from oscar winner helen hunt getting a lot of attention. helen is here. >> saw the movie "sessions." saw it yesterday. talk to helen in a couple of minutes. >> natalie is standing by with a check of all the headlines. >> good morning to you, matt and al. good morning, everyone. back to the battleground states for president obama and mitt romney. the president is speaking today at george mason university in virginia. romney has a rally in florida with running mate paul ryan. last night the candidates zinged each other with good-natured jokes at a charity dinner in new york. the boy scouts of america is apologizing to victims and their families for its handling of sexual abuse allegations against scout masters and others. the organization released nearly 15,000 pages of its so-called perversion files under court order thursday. the documents show that for decades local scout leaders and

even government officials protected alleged sexual predators to protect the boy scouts' reputation. a texas state judge said thursday that a group of cheerleaders can continue to display banners featuring bible verses at football games for the rest of this season. he suggested that a school district's ban on the practice appears to violate the students' free speech rights. a lawsuit challenging the banners is set to go to trial next june. a remarkable progress report on malala yousafzai, the pakistani teen shot by the taliban. officials at the british hospital where she is being treated said malala is able to stand up with the help of doctors and is communicating through writing. doctors believe she will also be able to speak. malala was shot in the head earlier this month in pakistan in an assassination attempt because she promotes education for girls. and now for a look at what's trending today. our quick roundup of what has you talking online. disney's first latina princess sparked an online debate.

sophia i makes her television debut next month and some say with blue eyes and light skin sophia doesn't fit the image of what they call typically latina. disney defenders though say there is no typically latina look, and we're going to talk about that more in our "take 3" later. an 8-month-old baby elephant's rescue in kenya has animal lovers stampeding to youtube. once the little one was freed from this muddy hole he went running for his mother for a heart-warming reunion. it's the intensity of affection from elephants that make them so special. take a look at this clip of too many stars autism benefit. jody, who has autism, belts out a moving rendition of "fishing" with her idol katy perry. ♪ rain or shine

♪ baby, you're a fishing ♪ go on, show what you're worth ♪ ♪ as you shoot across the sky >> she plays the piano beautifully. this airs sunday negotiate on comedy central. it is 8:05 right now. back out to matt and al. inspirational. >> not a dry eye. jon stewart. you know, my allergies are really acting up. it was very touching. >> that's nice. >> mr. roker, how about a check of the weather. >> that's gorgeous. >> got some nice friends. bffs, first trip, all hanging out and jacksonville and some bffs hanging out with the birthday girl, very nice. ♪ it's ladies night, oh, yes it's ladies night ♪ let's show you what we've got as

far as your forecast is concerned. today's pick city, milwaukee, tmj 4, cool and cloudy, 49 degrees. fall foliage, past peak color upstate new york and new england and near peak colors into the appalachians and also out west into central california and the pacific northwest. as you look at what's going on for today. wet weather in the northeast. heavy rain, thunderstorms. more rain in the pacific northwest. showers in the upper great lakes into the ohio river valley. plenty of sunshine through texas on into the southwest. happy birthday. both of you. all right. what's your name? >> emily. >> clara. >> happy birthday, ladies. >> new teenagers. >> good morning.ing on a big storm spinning over the great lakes is pushing a cool front through the area. we're hoping for some sunbreaks.

>> that's your latest weather. turning 40? >> tomorrow. >> pella, iowa, is that where they make the windows. who knew? you knew. >> happy birthday. when we come bag, the weekend guide to what's hot in music, movies, fashion and more, and, yes, savannah is up in the kitchen continuing to prepare a dinner for all of us. we'll get to that right after these messages. with no added sugar, just one glass equals two servings of fruit. very fruit-tritious. or, try ocean spray light 50, with just 50 calories, a full serving of fruit and no added sugar. with tasty flavors like cranberry-pomegranate and cranberry- concord grape, it's like a fruit stand in every bottle.

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i don't know, i think i might bail. yeah, it's pretty dead. [ male announcer ] one is never enough. new kfc dip'ems. freshly prepared tenders dipped in irresistible sauces. this is it. now this is a party. [ male announcer ] try a 20 pc bucket with 6 sauces. today tastes so good. back here at 11:00 with what's new, what's up, what's in as we get you set for the weekend. thee experts standing by with the editorial director for "billboard" magazine. he's here with what's new in music, movies and move. >> good to be here. >> let's talk about movies, the one helen hunt will talk about in a couple of minutes. it's called "the sessions," stars across jonathan hawks. adult themes. >> the whole thing takes place in a tiny space. john hawks plays a character with polio and wants to lose his virginity. >> adult themes. a lot of nudity in the movie and done in almost an arthouse kind

of a way. >> this is not like a titillating kind of thing. this is a really, really powerful story, and if you've forgotten at all this movie will make you remember why helen hunt is so amazing. >> oscar buzz on this one. >> big, big. >> "alex cross" hits theaters october 19th based on the james patterson books. not for the feint of heart. >> definitely not. a serial killer who does terrible, terrible things to people. if you're squeamish at all, not a movie for you. interesting to see tyler perry in a non-medea role. >> speaking of not feint of heart, "paranormal activity" opening up as well. >> scared to watch the trailers. super creepy and that silence goes a long way to add together bumps in the night. >> taylor swift has a new album coming out. what's the anticipation behind this? >> the whole music business is waiting to see if it sells a million copies. different style, more dance. >> gary clark is coming out with

his first album, done singles before, collections before. do you think this will do well? >> i think it will do well. it will be a slow build, amazing guitarist. classic staffs, fans of eric clapton and jimi hendrix. >> on the concert front, one direction here in november. a lot of people lining up to buy tickets to see them. you can't buy a ticket anymore. you've got to go to the secondhand sites and get them for $2,000. >> and the boss out on tour as well. >> if you haven't seen him, you have to go see him. a reason why he's the boss. >> information on music and movies. as always, thanks for being here. >> a pleasure. >> now here's al. >> what's up in the world of celebrity gossip. we have rebecca here with the scoop. >> good morning to you. >> supposedly tomorrow justin timb timberlake and jessica biel getting married. in italy, very exciting. they told guests -- they didn't tell them where they were going. flew to europe and didn't know

the final destination. some big celebrities, andy sandberg from justin's 'nsync band mates are there, beverly mitchell from "seventh heaven" and probably more to come. >> a gathering of the glitt glitteratti. demi moore's ex heating things up with mila kunis. >> he's sort of dragging it out, wanting more money out of the situation. >> really? >> he's the highest paid guy on tv. >> doesn't quite make sense. things are taking a little long. also, she's just not psyched that he's with mila and it's so public. >> what a surprise. >> what a surprise, right? >> and they were friends while they were married so it's not the ideal situation. >> kristen stewart and robert pattinson, what's the deal? >> completely on. photographed together and "breaking dawn" is coming out soon so the timing is interesting, and also the man who she had an affair with, rupert sanders, is back, at least in photographs with his

ex-wife or wife, liberty rock. >> speaking of rupert sanders, director "snow white" and his wife seen together. in counseling sessions. they might reconcile well. everybody might end up heyward-bey after this crazy scandal. >> uma thurman and their baby announced the name of their baby girl, longest name in celebrity history. five names. rosalind arusha arkadina altalune florence thurman-busson, but nicknamed luna, and we're told that the name, each name in that five names, all have special meaning to her. that's why they went with such a long one. >> if you take an initial from each name it comes out boo boo. rebecca beanstalk, thank you so much. >> thank you. >> natalie. >> thank you, last but not least what's in when it comes to fashion and beauty. host of mtv's "style" joins us.

you know what's stylish. you know what is fashionable before it hits the stores. >> seen all the trends and excited to show you a few that's been on the runways. >> starting first with makeup. you're wearing the smokey eye look beautifully. >> yes. >> a lot of people try to do this at home and it doesn't come out quite like that, but now they are making that easy. >> this is great. smokey eyes are great. it's a timeless evening look, but one thing that we're really seeing is women are starting to wear them during the day, so, you know, can you buy these at sephora but smokey eyes are a great look during the day. >> and the kits pretty much tell you how to do it which is great. in terms of accessories, ox blood is the hottest color going. >> it's huge and a great way to incorporate it in your wardrobe is through a staple bag. this one is from lamb. it's gorgeous. >> all price ranges here on the table, but it shows you can find it everywhere. >> exactly. another great thing that we're seeing right now is backpacks. backpacks are really fun and

youthful. >> and everybody's wearing them, right. >> okay. what about iphone cases? >> iphone cases. one thing, an accessory you have with you 24/7 is your iphone. this is a great fun way to show your personality and kind of -- >> dress up your phone at the same time. >> exactly. >> and i love these -- these are now glasses or sunglasses, and this is part of their program. buy a pair, give a pair philosophy. >> it's amazing. with every sunglass or glass that you buy, they donate one to someone in need as well. so, you know, metals are a huge trend. the titanium frames are, you know, a great look, but then -- >> super light. >> super light, too, exactly. >> won't bother your nose so much. metal-capped shoes, a huge trend. all different kinds of shoes you see here including these doc martin looking boots. >> a sort of fun way to bring a trend into your wardrobe. i love what you have about, you know, there's boots, flats, heels. it's a great sort of way to --

>> rocks a classic look. kind of jazzes it up a little bit. >> absolutely. >> and in the beauty trend. >> oil. >> oils are great for your hair, skin, nails, you know. a lot of these products you can buy at sephora. that's a huge trend we're seeing as well, just beauty products in general oil. >> give that you glow. >> all about moisture. >> great to have you here, thank you. coming up next, oscar winner helen hunt tells us more about her new movie and we'll check in with savannah as she is deep in the process. al roker giving her a little assistance there making dinner, but, first, these messages. [ male announcer ] the inventors of twix had a falling out,

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gas-x is designed to relieve gas. gas-x. the gas xperts. [ mom ] we already have a tv. would you like to know more about it? yeah, but let me put my wife on speaker. hi! hi. it's led and it has great picture quality. i don't know... it's ultra slim... maybe next year. you could always put it on layaway and pay a little at a time. alright. we'll take it! ah! i love you! hmm! ahem. football. [ male announcer ] shop now. get the hottest brands on your list today... like the lg 55 inch led tv. and put it on layaway now so you have more time to pay. walmart. we're back now at 8:21. helen hunt won an academy award for her performance in "as good as it gets" back in 1997. she's getting a lot of oscar buzz for her latest role in "the sessions." hunt plays a sex surrogate hired to help a man with polio lose

his virginity. >> so. >> your money is on the desk over there. >> yes, it is. thank you. >> that was the wrong way to start off. >> it really was. shall we start again. >> please, you start. >> although the aim is for us to have sex, i'm not a prostitute. you don't have to pay me up front. i have nothing against prostitutes, but there's a difference. we can talk about that later. >> i'm sorry. >> helen hunt, good morning. nice to see you. >> good morning. >> i watched this yesterday. it is -- it is beautifully told. it's incredibly touching, and i want to get to all that, but let's start with what your character just said. what's the difference between a sex surrogate and a prostitute. >> when i first -- i had never heard of this profession, and i thought, yeah, yeah, yeah. it's a prostitute, and -- and then i spoke to the real sheryl cohen green, the woman i play who still works as a sex surrogate.

grandmother, beautiful cancer survivor, sex surrogate, and she explained as i do in the movie that one of the main differences is that she says i have nothing against prostitutes at all. the difference is that a prostitute wants your return business and the sex surrogate does not. a sex surrogate wants to help you realize your dream of having a whole sexual life. >> this is based on a true story of mark o'brien, and short story he wrote, a man with polio about seeing a sex surrogate. a very adult theme. some of the dialogue is as blunt as two people can be talking about sex, and yet at no point does it ever bowl over the viewer. >> no. it's an adult-themed movie, but i think parents should see it and go home and get their 16-year-olds and 17-year-olds and allow them to see sexuality on screen that isn't prurient or filled with shamor all the weird mood lighting that isn't really there in my life. >> right. and i think one of the things

that will get a lot of attention here, maybe for good or for bad, is the nudity aspect of this. and are you nude this this film, and i don't mean a glimpse of a breast nude. >> all right, all right, all right. for god's sake. >> you're naked. >> i'm naked. >> and abuse the movie is so beautifully told the viewer almost forgets it. >> people keep saying this is a brave performance. brave means naked. i know what brave means. >> was it difficult to get that comfortable? >> yeah. i can i ever got that comfortable, but this -- but the woman that i played was, and just being in the room with her sort of gives you a break from your own -- the weirdness you have about sex in your mind that you don't even know that you have. so i thought my role in this movie is to come in and give the audience just a glimpse of what it might be like if we dropped all of our strangeness about sexuality. >> this becomes a love story, and, you know, your character is very clear in the beginning that there are rules to sex surrogacy. there are six sessions, and that's the limit, so no

emotional lines will be crossed, but it becomes very clear that they are both having a difficult time with that. >> it does. i think what makes it a unique story, and most love stories, true to life or on the screen, i think mostly we're up for ourselves. i say i love you so you say i love you back, and in this case they come together for him, and when they sense that feelings that they are having might endanger that, they work very hard to make sure that at the end of these encounters he wins. >> you say him. john hawks plays mark o'brien. i don't know what it must have been like to transform himself into this character. >> he's just a beautiful actor so in a way any nerves that i felt was assuaged knowing i would have a dance partner that's just a world class actor. >> oscar buzz. i mean, is it possible to shoot a movie like this and bring a character like this off a page and on to the big screen without stopping and thinking about the fact that this could be one of those roles. >> oh, it's utterly possible. the idea that i was doing this movie thinking about that when i

had all those other things to think about, i truly didn't, but, you know, if you have one with you, i'll take it. >> yeah, yeah. >> short of that, don't start with me. >> get ready, there's going to be a lot of conversation. great to see gr >> good morning to you. happy friday. i'm sarah caldwell. let's start with a check of your morning commute. eastbound i-70 at the beltway, an accident with speeds on average 15 miles an hour from approaching mary its bill -- marriotsville. in this city, police and rescue responding to an accident at green street and franklin streets. forest hills, 543 at chestnut hill, an accident. southbound ritchie highway at east-west boulevard a crash. northbound 97 at 100, another

accident. watching for delays in both directions. another crash northbound 295 add power vermeil with north and south of delays showing on the bwe parkway. 70 west of about one of the league -- delays a leading to the accident scene. normal volume delays at harford road, crawling from 95 all the way to back harrisburg expressway. john, over to you. >> you saw the wet pavement on the tragic picture. the heaviest rain -- it may amount to the last significant band. on the eastern shore -- thunderstorm activity north of centreville and around kingstown. a few showers have now passed north of the city. this is all moving to the north. we do not see much activity to the west right now. our forecast and right now, 64 degrees right now. we have a shower activity three wins are calm and the barometric pressure -- pressure showing a

rising tendency. if you get enough sun this afternoon, into the 70's. you hang on to more clouds, maybe step of the 60's. a mixture of sun and clouds. showers skewed to the morning. this weekend should be dry air this weekend should be dry air and only

as a pastor, my support for question 6 is rooted in my belief that the government should treat everyone equally. i would not want someone denying my rights based upon their religious views, therefore i should not deny others based upon mine. it's about fairness. this law does not force any church to perform a same sex marriage if it's against their beliefs. and that's what this is about. protecting religious freedom and protecting all marylanders equally under the law. join me in voting for question 6.

8:30 now on this friday morning, october 19th, 2012. and while our crowd enjoys the start of their day in rockefeller plaza, something's burning up here in the kitchen. it's my cooking skills. just ahead, we'll see if i will deliver on my promise to make a deliverance meal for matt, al and savannah. matt, this is piece of chicken, it's going right in. this oil has been heating a little too long, i think, but i think it's going to be fine, and if anything goes wrong i've got

a little backup plan, pizzas for everybody. >> cute. >> there's a backup plan, guys. >> love to have a backup. >> okay. >> also ahead. >> we've got a documentary. just talked about helen hunt getting some oscar buzz. >> meanwhile a documentary that's getting an oscar buzz. >> getting a lot of buzz. >> yeah, exactly. >> this is a great program at a public program here in new york city. they are the powerhouses of chess. we're going to show you how chess is not only, you know, a great activity for them. it's actually changing their lives and allowing them incredible opportunities. >> and we want to share something with you. nbc news is partnering with "usa weekend" magazine to encourage people to volunteer and make a difference. and look who is on the cover. we've got savannah and matt, and the beautiful thing about this it's going to be on october 27th. that's make a difference day. read about it more in the current issue and check out -- >> my very wet current issue. >> didn't take long to deface us but that's all right. >> we're proud to announce that

for the 19th year the "today" show toy drive is getting under way once again. it's always such a great time of year. celebrities will be coming back. they will be collecting your donations beginning november 26th on the plaza. you don't have to be here necessarily to donate. you can do it through amazon.com right now. just head to our website to find out how you can be a part, and we always appreciate the support and the help and so do all the charities. >> all right. meanwhile, remember last week we introduced you to 16-year-old miranda ferguson, the texas cheerleader who attempted to break the guinness book of world records for the most consecutive handsprings, and she did 35. we were not sure at the time whether that actually broke the record, but we are now back with miranda here on the plaza, and the representative of the "guinness books," mike ginella. >> good morning. >> good to see you. >> it's official. you are the guinness book of world record holder for the move

consecutive handsprings. how do you feel, miranda? >> i'm so excited. >> it's fantastic. you did this in front of a big crowd down in texas. they were rooting you on. >> yes. >> and were you at all nervous that it was an official record? >> i was extremely nervous. there are so many like details that can go into it and the fact that i have it on. >> just to put it in perspective, you're in the guinness book of world records, felix baumgartner broke five world records as well for breaking through the sound barrier. >> oh. >> pretty impressive. are your high school friends going to think more of you for having this plaque at home? >> i don't know. maybe. >> but we've got some other records you might want to consider going after, okay. >> okay. >> also in the book, the most consecutive cart wheels or most cart wheels in a minute, 63. do you think you could do that? >> maybe. >> that doesn't sound -- that's more than one per -- >> how about the longest duration balancing on four fingers. >> that one seems more difficult.

>> or the one that natalie wants. >> really wants this. >> the fastest time to entry zipped suitcase. >> i think i can do it. 5.43 seconds. >> that's how natalie saves money traveling. >> you won't up zip me out of there. >> mike, how long do you think this record will stand? >> a long time. >> the one before this was about a year and a half. we get so many applications for this record, one of the most popular ones of everybody says i can do that, i'll go do that right now. miranda delivered the goods so i think it will be a while. >> you going to pop, it miranda, going to keep it going? >> i'm thinking about it, maybe. >> ladies and gentlemen, the guinness book of world records holder. nice to have you back. >> thank you. >> mr. roker with a checkh >> good morning. a cool front is trying to move through the area. we're hoping for some sunbreaks

. >> and that's your latest weather. >> all right. still ahead. how the late-night comics are covering the presidential election, and savannah's cooking lessons d.they pay off? we'll find out when we sit down for a meal fit for kings and queens. but, first, this is "today" on nbc.

back at 8:37. well chess has been called the game of kings played for thousands of years by presidents and prodigies, but to find the place where it is truly alive and thriving you have to go somewhere maybe unexpected.

walk the halls of this public school in brooklyn is-318, and at first you might think you're in any ordinary middle school, but look in the classrooms, look up at the walls, look at the trophy case, and you'll soon realize this school is anything but average. it is a chess powerhouse. >> in the last ten years we've won over 30 national championships of all different types. we are considered the best scholastic chess program in the united states. >> this school lives and breathes chess. how did all of this get started? >> our chess team got started about ten years ago with just about ten kids, and it was just a regular old chess club, and our previous principal thought wouldn't it be great if we could go to nationals. we won one of the beginner sections, and we came in first place. >> the team now has 70 members, and with more national chess titles than any other middle school in the country, they are known as the yankees of chess. this year they even won the united states chess federation's national high school

championship. there's a certain stereotype about chess kids, one i'm sure that you highly disagree with, and that's that they are nerdy kids, not the cool kids. a very different story in these hallways, right? >> in our school many people consider the chess players the stars of the school. we celebrate the kids on the chess team. it's cool to be smart. >> chess teacher elizabeth spiegel also stresses that the game is empowering students with skills that reach beyond the 46 squares on a chessboard. how do you think chess has changed these kids' lives? >> i think chess gives you a really profound confidence in your intellectual ability. i do hope they feel a deep belief in themselves and feel like they can teach themselves anything they want to learn. >> the chess program at is-318 is the focus of a new documentary receiving critical acclaim called "brooklyn castle." >> here to block your queens. >> wow, one, two, three, four, five attackers, fantastic. >> film-makers followed staff

and students for a year following the highs and lows of a chess program at a program facing constant budget woes and a student body where nearly 70% are below the poverty line. >> the school has to be everyone having the same opportunity, whether you can afford that opportunity or not. >> provost, rischelle and justice, three of the students in the film, have mefd on to high school where they continue to excel in chess and in life. >> you said in the movie that chess really changed you. >> when i was younger, i was a bad kid, and i never really did anything, wasn't really active in school. well, chess, i guess, it gave me something -- it gave me something to look forward to every day. i was going to chess club after school and socializing with friends and playing chess. that's what i wanted to do. >> do you think chess is, you know, going to open that door for you to reach your dreams? >> definitely. i think chess has opened every single door that i've walked through. it's just so beneficial, and

it's so helpful to my life, an i'm grateful for it. >> for these kids who never had a chance to leave new york city, chess also offers them the world. >> i have traveled across the country, and even out of the country. like i've been to south africa, greece. >> all to play chess. >> to play with the world youth. >> and for those who think chess is for nerds. i look at you and think, boy, you could be playing football. >> on the track team, played basketball for two years. i play chess. i'm not ashamed. who is going to come up to a 6'3" guy and say, hey, you're a nerd. >> it's not expected every student in the chess program will leave the school as a grand master, but it is expected they leave as confident young adults, preparing to make their next move. >> and the documentary "brooklyn castle" opens in limited release today and already won the audience award at south by southwest. getting some early oscar buzz,

possible contender for best documentary, so a little film that could as well. >> absolutely fantastic. >> amazing. >> let's check in with savannah who is busy preparing us a delectable feast. >> gourmet. >> you'll be talking about it all weekend. testing my pasta. you want to know what we're having. >> what's on the menu? >> penne pasta with homemade tomato sauce, roasted eggplant and ricotta. >> you have to consult the menu? >> don't have it memorized. spanish spice-rubbed chicken breasts. braised carrots and leeks, salad with ven get and then a special dessert, jell-o mold. >> jell-o. >> that's going to take you a long time working those jell-o molds. >> i know. >> there's always room for jell-o. >> that is not done. >> i can't talk to you. >> we'll be honest but kind. >> this pasta is not done. even i know that. >> okay. >> we'll see you in a couple of minutes. >> okay. >> also. we'll have much more ahead. this is "today" on nbc. hundred and eighty million dollars for maryland schools. that's a lot of money. my classroom. games and a new casino for maryland. million more for education every year. the money goes where it's supposed to. it's the law. this is about our kids. this is about better schools. seven. i'm voting for question seven. i'm voting for question seven.

>> we're back now at 8:45 with today's extra yar. this morning the pittsburgh steelers chase rainey and his remarkable journey to the nfl. today contributing correspondent jenna bush hager caught up with him recently. jenna, good morning. >> good morning, matt, that's right. if you ask nfl players, they will tell you their teammates feel like family. when you ask running back chris rainey he'll tell you after growing up without his mom, a family is more than he could have ever hoped for. far from the lights of heinz field, chris rainey began his life behind bars. >> i was born in prison. >> reporter: chris was shuffled

between foster homes until he was a teenager, always seeking a family. >> all i wanted to have is love and stuff like that. >> reporter: at times he lived with his grandmother who first introduced him to football so he could make friends. >> so basically my grandmother was tired of seeing me play football by myself. i used to throw the football as far as i can, run and go catch it. >> reporter: and youth football changed his life. there he met twins marquis and mike pouncey, big kids who even at a young age dominated the offensive line. was your friendship based on football or was it more than that? >> it was more than that. >> reporter: brothers and chris practiced together for hours and became teammates at lakeland high school where marquis and mike's parents watched the teens from the stands. >> he knew that they were going to block for him and he was going to, you know, make a touchdown. >> they had a great chemistry together. they had the same love for the game and passion. >> reporter: chris began to spend more and more time with the pounceys.

>> i felt comfortable with them. they was just nice to me. it was just different from my family. so i started staying with them on weekends. >> reporter: those weekends turned to weeks. >> i went and told my mom. he's got to move in with us. our star running back, a guy we're so close to. i knew all the things that went on throughout his life and the troubles that he had. >> we knew he needed stability. we do co-see, that and he wanted the support and the love and we felt like we could offer it, and he seemed happen we he was over here so we just included him. >> it was an easy decision for us. >> when you moved in with them, how soon did you start to feel like this is my home? >> very soon. it happened fast, too. i think i got real close, and i just thought, i love this family, man. >> the three went to the national championship in high school and all won scholarships to the university of florida. is there a special chemistry that you have? >> we go like this and look at

each other and we know what that means. >> marquis left for the pros in 2010 and went to the steelers and mike went a year later to the miami dolphins. chris entered the draft and after two days of waiting was drafted by pittsburgh. >> we're finally together again after me leaving college early and now we'll build more memories in our life. >> a lot of people say the steelers is one of those teams that's like a family. >> oh, yeah. >> yes. >> we're a band of brothers and so close and do so much stuff off the field together it feels like we've been with them all our lives. >> during the preseason chris burst on to the scene scoring his first nfl touchdown. >> it brought so much joy to me because i know that was rainey's biggest dream, to get his first touchdown in the nfl. >> a dream, lisa and robert worked for, three boys in the nfl. >> we didn't have a magic wand or anything. we just -- our kids were our main focus. >> you know, it says something very special about them that they would take in a friend. >> i want to say thank you, i know, for raising us and always

being interest. >> proving family comes in different forms, and love creates a bond for a lifetime. you started out as friends, but what do you consider your relationship now? >> we're brothers. >> brothers. >> blood brothers, man. nothing will ever change that. >> and lisa and robert told us when all three boys are home for breaks, it's like they are still in high school, wrestling with each other and just having a good time. chris also says he has a good relationship with his biological family now, including his mom. >> although now that their size is what it is, they can break things when they wrestle probably. >> i really want those men wrestling in my house. i'm sure my husband really wouldn't want that either. >> thanks very much. >> thanks. >> catch the steelers taking on the bengals sunday night. catch that here starting with "football night in america." beginning at 7:00 p.m. up next, the piece deresistance, savannah throws up up next, the piece deresistance, savannah throws up a dinner

i've always been lucky. flew 37 bombing missions over germany. made it home every time. i'm lucky to have good friends who are all still around, and we're all lucky to have a friend named ben. ben's protected our medicare and veterans' benefits. and he's helping my 13 grandchildren afford college. he's my friend, ben. i hope he's your friend, too. i'm ben cardin, and i'm honored to approve this message.

. this morning at "savannah's cooking school," the moment we've been waiting for, our dinner party. >> you guys hungry? >> yes. >> this is the first course. this is the pasta. we're going to go european style. >> how rude. >> i didn't serve natalie first.

>> sorry, sorry. >> you're cooking, not serving. dive right in. >> it has eggplant in it, ricotta on the top, a little arugula. >> you did everything, the presentation as well? >> can't you tell i did the presentation. >> this is the pasta sauce you made this week with bobby. >> that's right. so we skipped a few steps because actually even our -- >> so good satchna. >> the cooks who cook every day say they couldn't do the whole thing in 45 minutes. >> it's delicious. >> amazing. >> thank you. >> i did get some help, as you were correct to point out, but i -- i did the best i could. >> you did an amazing job. >> this is something you can do by yourself at home. can you duplicate this? >> i think i could. >> the trick is for you to do it over and over again so you can do it without even thinking about it. >> i just learned something this morning, you'll laugh. i didn't know how to peel an eggplant or what to do. >> i'll get our next course. >> what is the most challenging part of this whole meal, savannah, as you walk your way over there? >> walking, and also

organization, getting everything out at the same time, and obviously i had some help. this is the spice-rubbed chicken breast. >> that was great. >> i want you to notice it -- sorry, nat. >> sorry to rush you. >> i'll take that. >> we only have three minutes. >> we'll enjoy it. >> i know. >> don't forget to tip your server. this is the chicken with carrots and braised leeks. >> i braised it with the chicken stock that we made. >> all right. dive in there, tell me what you think. >> what kinds of spices were in the spice rub. >> cumin and paprika and i don't know, salt and pepper. a bunch. >> why are you laughing? >> it's seriously good. delicious actually. >> can i get some salt, savannah? >> i'm burning off 100 calories. >> doesn't need salt, you're kidding. >> i know. >> savannah, know you have more, but we have something for you, too. right. >> we got some gifts we wanted to give you. >> first of all. >> wait, that's nice. >> since you're probably going

to be doing more cooking now at home, wanted to get you a great set of knives. >> this is a really nice set. this is exciting. >> absolutely. >> every good chef has knives. >> and you're going to now use some of your cooking prowess on thanksgiving which is coming up. >> yes. >> we got you this framed copy of the butterball hotline. >> i know, because bianca and lish who work in the kitchen every day, i guess you're not available on thanksgiving. i have to say thank you to them. >> did we show our beautiful jell-o mold and there's a salad. >> that we didn't get to. >> have all the recipes on the website. >> there's the camera right there. >> don't drop the jell-o mold. >> nice job. >> thanks to bobby flay as well. >> thanks to bobby flay. >> we're back with more after this. >> thing of beauty. >> this is "today" with matt lauer and savannah guthrie. >> are we going to say we know where that guy was. >> didn't directly answer that question so i'll put it to you. >> a bit surreal to vote for

your husband for president? >> aerosmith is going to be walking our way live on the plaza. they have never done a morning show before. >> right. >> and i think that's because they are up all night partying. ♪ girl i'm gonna show you how to do it ♪ >> al, al, al. >> vote for me. >> natalie better get out of the way. >> look who is here. chris rock is on the deck. >> duran duran's john taylor, good morning, good to see you. >> good morning. >> i promise not to stalk you during this interview. >> that's okay. >> how is that for an answer? >> that's a terrible answer. >> yeah. nice. >> get out of here! >> i can just tell you right now, this isn't going perfectly. >> the man behind alex cross,

author james patterson right after this. >> bless you, natalie. >> $65 here. >> yes. >> how long can you hold that pose? >> got my thumb in there. >> good morning. i'm sarah caldwell. here's a look at one of our top stories. a pikesville man accused of murdering his grandparents is back in baltimore county this morning after being captured in oklahoma. police say 31-year-old matthew long used dumbbells and a night. police discovered thel

coupleong now faces two counts coupleong now faces two counts as a pastor, my support for question 6 is rooted in my belief that the government should treat everyone equally. i would not want someone denying my rights based upon their religious views, therefore i should not deny others based upon mine. it's about fairness. this law does not force any church to perform a same sex marriage if it's against their beliefs. and that's what this is about. protecting religious freedom and protecting all marylanders equally under the law. join me in voting for question 6.

>> we have had showers and thunderstorms this morning. that should taper off. hoping for breaks west of the day. if we get an of sun, the temperatures in the 70's and the cloudy areas probably stuck in